Presses and the like



June 16, 1959 'H'. E. HODGES Q,649

- PRESSES AND THE LIKE I Filed Sept. so, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F3" *wejzzfwoa a9 47 ape June 16, 1959 H. E. HODGES 2,890,649

PRESSES AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 30. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Patented June 16, 19

PRESSES AND THE LIKE Hubert E. Hodges, Cedar Lake, Ind.

Application-September 30, 1957, Serial No. 687,156

4 Claims. (Cl. 100-231) are employed for operation on a long narrow width of interposed work material or stock, it is important that the force applied to the movable member for closing operation thereof against the interposed work be applied thereto at such intervals therealong to insure uniformity of distribution of the applied force throughout the length of the movable memberand avoid excessive localization of strain thereon.

This is accomplished in accordance with the present invention by utilizing a double acting power element, as for example a cylinder or piston device or similar reversely acting power element, which is arranged so that it acts in one direction to apply power to the movable member at widely separated places to cause closing movement thereof, and reacts in the opposite direction to apply power directly to the movable element at an intermediate place to likewise cause closing movement thereof.

The double acting power element preferably is arranged as a floating power element between the parts upon which it acts and reacts so that the applied acting and reacting power thereof is equal and by the application of the reaction force directly against the movable member, it provides an additional place of application of power to the movable member and thereby greatly improves the distribution of operating force throughout the length of the movable member.

The principal objects of the. invention are to provide improved facilities for distributive application of power to movable pressure applying members of presses and the like; to accomplish such improved distributive application. of power by simple and convenient expedients; to provide coordination of action which will insure uniformity of closing operation of the pressure applying member; and to simplify adjustment of the pressure applying member for exactitude of cooperative relation with the companion member thereof; these and other objectsbeing accomplished. as pointed out more particularly hereinafter and as shown in the accompanying drawingsinwhich: v i

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a press brake, embodying the features of the invention, and shown in the open position with the movable member or ram thereof in its elevated position.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 but showing the movable member or ram thereof projected downwardly to the work engaging and shaping position;

Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

For purposes of disclosure the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a press brake 10 having a main frame provided by spaced parallel upright C-frames 11 connected at their upper portions by a cross rod 12 andat their forward lower portions by a plate-like cross member 14 which has a horizontal upper edge 14E which serves as the bed or stationary die holder of the press.

brake 10. The C-frarnes 11 have mounting angles 11A along their lower edges to facilitate floor mounting of the brake 10, and the C-shape or form is provided in the,

C-frames 11 by omitting or cutting away forward portions of the frames 11 at a suitable working height to define a throat HT opening through the vertical forward edges 11V of the frames 11.

The cross member or bed 14 is positioned against the forward edges 11V of the C-frames 11, and is secured thereto as by welding or in any other convenient manner.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the central portion of the member 14 extends to substantiallyfloor level, and

the lower edge slopes upwardly and is formed with horizontal lower edge surfaces 148 that rest on shoulders 118 formed on the C-frames 11.

The upper edge 14E of the bed 14 is located somewhat above the lower edge of the throat 11T so thata lower die 15D of any desired form may be mounted thereon approximately opposite the midpoint of the throat, and an opposing upper die ISP is mounted on the lower edge of a movable member or ram 16 which is mounted for vertical sliding movement on the forward edges of the C-frames 11 above and in the same vertical plane as the bed 14 so that by downward actuation of the ram 16 the upper die 15F may be brought into cooperation with the lower die 15D. The upper and lower die elements may take any conventional form and may be secured in position in the usual way. For providing the vertical sliding movement of the ram .16, each C-frame 11 has a vertical guideway 17 fixedly secured thereto or. integral therewith along the upright forward edge of the C-plate above the throat llT, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 and retaining gibs 18 of L-shaped cross section are fixed to the rear surface of the ram 16 and engage the exposed side and rear surfaces of the ways 17. The ram 16 is yieldingly urged upwardly to lift the upper die 15P above the lower die 15D, and this is accomplished in the present instance by auxiliary hydraulic or air lifters 19 which are attached at their lower ends to the respective C-frames and at their upper ends to the respective gibs 18 to lift the ram 16 when liquid or air at suitable operating pressure is supplied to the lifters 19,

Under the present invention the ram 16 is operated through its downward or working stroke by novel actuating means that apply the operating forces by reaction between the C-frames 11 and the central portion of the ram 16, and the reacting forces thus developed are applied downwardly on the ram 16 at the longitudinal midpoint of the ram as well as near opposite ends of the ram. This is accomplished by. providing vertically acting piston and cylinder means on the ram 16 at the midpoint thereof and providing a lever system anchored on the respective frames 11 and connected to opposite ends of the ram 16 so that upon actuation of the piston and cylinder means, downward forces are applied thereby directly to the center of the ram and through the lever system to the ends of the ram thereby providing a uniformly distributed force throughout the length of the ram.

The actuating means as herein shown take the form of a single relatively large cylinder 200 set into an upwardly opening slot 168 formed at the midpoint of the ram 16, and the cylinder 20C may be welded in this position or secured in the slot 165 in any desired manner so that the axis of the cylinder is in the central plane of the ram. In open upper end of the cylinder 20C a piston 20? is vertically slidable and has a pair of upwardly extended compression links 21 whereby the piston 2GP is connected to the force transmitting lever system.

The lever system comprises a pair of levers 22 disposed above and in the plane of the ram 16, and the levers 22 are pivoted intermediate their ends on the respective C-frames 11 by means of yokes 23 which are provided on the frames 11 in any desired manner. Thus the yokes 23 may be in the form of blocks that are vertically slotted in their rear faces so as to embrace the forward edges of the C-frames 11, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and the blocks or yokes may be rigidly secured on the C-frames as by welding or in other desired manner. The yokes 23 project forwardly from the C-frames 11 and are slotted downwardly at 238 from their upper ends to receive the levers 22, and horizontal pivot pins 24 extend through the levers 22 and the yokes 23 to provide fixed pivots for the levers 22.

At their inner or adjacent ends the levers 22 extend into slots 218 in the upper ends of the links 21 and are pivoted therein by horizontal pivot pins 25.

At their outer or remote ends the levers 22 have downwardly extended compression links 26 and 26A that are pivoted at their upper ends at 27 to the links 22, and are pivoted at their lower ends at 28 to opposite ends of the ram 16. The link 26 is of fixed length while the link 26A is adjustable as by means including an adjustment nut 26N, and this adjustment enables the actuating means to be easily adjusted to assure parallelism of the upper and lower die carrying members 14 and 16.

The ram 16 normally is maintained in its position of Figs. 1, 4 and by the hydraulic or air operated lifters 19, and when the ram 16 is to be operated through its downward or working stroke, the lifters 19 are deenergized and pressure fluid is supplied through a supply connection 29 to the lower end of the cylinder 20C. This serves to project the piston 20P upwardly toward the relation shown in Fig. 2, so that the levers 22 are rocked and the downward forces are applied to the ends of the ram 16 while the reactive forces between the piston 20F and the cylinder 20C act downwardly on the ram 16 at its midpoint. When the pressure fluid is vented, the ram 16 is returned to its upper position by the hydraulic or air lifters 19.

For controlling the operation of the cylinder, a conventional two position valve may be employed in the supply line 29 which is operable to a position to supply fluid under the required pressure to the cylinder 20C for imparting downward movement to the ram 16 and which is operable to a relief position for evacuation of the cylinder 20C when the ram 16 is to be raised, and the lifters 19 may be conjointly operable by a similar conventional two position valve and these valves may be connected for conjoint operation so that when the valve to the cylinder 20C is adjusted to supply fluid under pressure thereto the valve to the lifters 19 is adjustable to evacuate the pressure therein, and conversely when the valve to the cylinder 20C is adjusted to evacuate the cylinder,the valve to the lifters will be positioned to supply pressure to the lifters.

-The relative proportioning of the arms of the levers 4 v 22 is shown as being approximately 4 to 1, and provides satisfactory operation, but this may be varied to a con siderable extent within the scope of the invention.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the present invention provides an improved actuating mechanism whereby such uniformity of actuation may be readily and easily accomplished, and which may be readily adjusted to assure such even actuation.

It will also be apparent that the present invention provides a new and improved actuating system for press brakes wherein the actuating forces are applied by reaction between central and end portions of the ram and the C-frames of the press brake and that such actuating means are simple and rugged in character.

While I have for illustration purposes shown and described my invention as applied to a press brake it is to be understood that it is applicable to other presses or devices of a similar nature, and I am aware that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the principles of the invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a press brake having a frame with an elongated fixed bed and an elongated opposed vertically reciprocable upper ram mounted thereon, actuating levers disposed above said upper ram 'with adjacent ends disposed substantially over the midpoint thereof and with their respective remote ends disposed over and connected by links to the opposite ends of said ram, means pivoting said levers on said frame intermediate their ends, and piston and cylinder power means acting between the midpoint of said ram and the adjacent ends of the levers for operating said ram through a downward operating stroke.

2. In a press brake having C-frames with a bed and a vertically reciprocable ram associated therewith, actuating levers disposed above said ram with adjacent ends disposed substantially over the midpoint thereof and with their respective remote ends disposed over the opposite ends of said ram, means connecting the remote ends of the levers to the respective ends of the ram, means pivoting said levers on said frame intermediate their ends, and power means acting between the midpoint of said ram and the adjacent ends of said levers for operating said ram through a downward working stroke.

3. In a press brake, a bed and a cooperating ram, supporting frame means upon which said bed is fixedly mounted and upon which the ram is slidably mounted for movement toward and away from said bed, a pair of operating levers disposed in a common plane above said ram with their remote ends operatively connected to the respective ends of said ram and with their adjacent ends located substantially over the midpoint of the ram, means on said frame means pivoting said levers on the frame means in symmetrical locations, and vertically extensible actuating means centered in said plane and acting be tween said ram and the adjacent ends of said levers for operating said upper member through a downward working stroke.

4. A press brake according to claim 3 in which said actuating means are provided by a cylinder mounted on the ram and a piston connected to said levers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 542,190 Guild July 2, 1895 738,787 Fogarty Sept. 15, 1903 2,169,113 Sheppard Aug. 8, 1939 2,243,205 Hall May 27, 1941 

